Animated animatronic figures, such as avatars, are a unique way to give physical presence to a character. For example, many animatronic figures are movable and can be used as part of an interactive display for people at a theme park, where the figures may have articulable elements that move, and may be used in conjunction with audio to simulate the figure talking or making other sounds. However, typically the movement and/or expressions of the figures may be limited due to mechanical constraints. As an example, in animatronic figures representing human faces certain expressions, such as happiness, fear, sadness, etc. may be desired to be replicated by the figures. These facial expressions may be created by using actuators that pull an exterior surface corresponding to the skin of the figure in one or more directions. The precision, number, and control of actuators that are required to accurately represent details such as dimples, wrinkles, and so on, may be cost-prohibitive, require space within the head of the figures, and/or require extensive control systems.
It is with these shortcomings in mind that the present invention has been developed.